Comments on: Why Go To A THX Certified Cinema http://www.thx.com/test-bench-blog/why-go-to-a-thx-certified-cinema/ Official site of THX. Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:15:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: THX – A Look Back at 28 Years in Entertainment « THX.com http://www.thx.com/test-bench-blog/why-go-to-a-thx-certified-cinema/comment-page-1/#comment-11388 THX – A Look Back at 28 Years in Entertainment « THX.com Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:39:17 +0000 http://www.thx.com/?p=5977#comment-11388 [...] Click here to learn more about THX Certified Cinemas. [...] [...] Click here to learn more about THX Certified Cinemas. [...]

]]> By: Brian Satchfield http://www.thx.com/test-bench-blog/why-go-to-a-thx-certified-cinema/comment-page-1/#comment-6012 Brian Satchfield Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:13:25 +0000 http://www.thx.com/?p=5977#comment-6012 Seeking out a THX-certified cinema will undoubtedly reward the movie goer who cares about accurate picture and sound presentation. I've done the testing. I've taken the opportunity on several occasions to see the same film in multiple theaters - some THX-certified and some not. The THX cinema always performs at a higher level; often at a much higher level. The speaker systems more accurately handle the soundtrack. The dialog is more intelligible. The score is more impactful. But it's more than just a good speaker system. The audience is not distracted by the sound from adjacent theaters or inclement weather. The picture is clear and in focus. The auditorium is quiet and free from reverberation. You can often tell that the staff has been trained and is giving the film the presentation attention it deserves. In a THX-certified theater, you know you are seeing the film as close to how the directors and producers intended as possible. You can accurately judge their decisions. Is the sound design lifelike and accurate? Is the score well-recorded? Is the dialog natural-sounding? I've seen films in non-THX theaters where the audience left with an indifference about the movie they just saw; I then saw the same film in a THX theater where the audience loved it. I have no doubt that at least some explanation for the difference was because one theater offered a technically-better presentation. And this translates to the home, as well. I've experienced times when I've seen a film in a non-THX theater and felt underwhelmed by the soundtrack. But when I watched the DVD on my home THX system, I suddenly realized that there was a great soundtrack there all along - I just missed it in the theater because the system was unable to reproduce it accurately. When possible, see out a THX-certified screen. You'll know that you saw the film in under the best conditions as it pertains to the technical presentation and know that you saw something very close to what the filmmakers intended. Seeking out a THX-certified cinema will undoubtedly reward the movie goer who cares about accurate picture and sound presentation. I’ve done the testing. I’ve taken the opportunity on several occasions to see the same film in multiple theaters – some THX-certified and some not. The THX cinema always performs at a higher level; often at a much higher level. The speaker systems more accurately handle the soundtrack. The dialog is more intelligible. The score is more impactful.

But it’s more than just a good speaker system. The audience is not distracted by the sound from adjacent theaters or inclement weather. The picture is clear and in focus. The auditorium is quiet and free from reverberation. You can often tell that the staff has been trained and is giving the film the presentation attention it deserves.

In a THX-certified theater, you know you are seeing the film as close to how the directors and producers intended as possible. You can accurately judge their decisions. Is the sound design lifelike and accurate? Is the score well-recorded? Is the dialog natural-sounding?

I’ve seen films in non-THX theaters where the audience left with an indifference about the movie they just saw; I then saw the same film in a THX theater where the audience loved it. I have no doubt that at least some explanation for the difference was because one theater offered a technically-better presentation.

And this translates to the home, as well. I’ve experienced times when I’ve seen a film in a non-THX theater and felt underwhelmed by the soundtrack. But when I watched the DVD on my home THX system, I suddenly realized that there was a great soundtrack there all along – I just missed it in the theater because the system was unable to reproduce it accurately.

When possible, see out a THX-certified screen. You’ll know that you saw the film in under the best conditions as it pertains to the technical presentation and know that you saw something very close to what the filmmakers intended.

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